petak, 23. ožujka 2012.

Incommunicado detention of Mr. Saleh ShameyaAccording to the information received, on March 17, 2012, Mr. Shameya was arrested while he was observing a peaceful assembly in the centre of Idleb. His arrest was carried out by the Syrian Intelligence service (Mukhabarat) while a military operation was led simultaneously against the demonstrators using rockets and heavy artillery. His whereabouts have not been disclosed as of yet and he remains thus in incommunicado custody.The Observatory is deeply concerned by Mr. Saleh Shameya's arrest and fears for his physical and psychological integrity, particularly in the current context of widespread resort to acts of torture and ill-treatment in detention centres in Syria. The Observatory calls upon the Syrian authorities to take prompt action in order to disclose his fate and whereabouts and release him immediately as it believes that his arrest merely aimed at sanctioning his human rights activities.Actions requested:Please write to the Syrian authorities, urging them to:i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Saleh Shameya, as well as of all human rights defenders in Syria;ii. Take prompt action in order to disclose the fate and whereabouts of Mr. Saleh Shameya and unconditionally release him, as his arrest seems to solely aim at impeding him from pursuing his human rights activities;iii. Ensure in all circumstances that Syrian human rights defenders are able to carry out their work without unjustified hindrances;iv. Comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in particular with its Article 1, which provides that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, as well as with Article 12.2 “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”;v. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by the Syrian Arab Republic.Read more...